Abu Dhabi, April 21 (IANS/WAM) Filmmakers in the Gulf will receive grants totalling $500,000 to encourage them to make innovative and artistic movies, it was announced Wednesday.

The fund, titled Sanad, will support outstanding productions from the region in two categories - development and post-production - for feature-length narratives and documentaries.

The selection committee for the films will comprise of members of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival's management and veteran film industry professionals who will seek "bold and remarkable projects from both new and established filmmakers with the aim of encouraging artistic innovation".

"Sanad is a concrete way in which the festival can support the region's filmmakers in developing their own voices and taking their place in the international film community. There's an amazing amount of untapped and unrecognised creative potential in the Arab world and these grants are an important building block in the creation of a vibrant and viable cinema here," said Peter Scarlet, the festival's executive director.